title: Central nervous system TNFalpha-mRNA expression during rabbit experimental pneumococcal meningitis.
abstract: In pneumococcal meningitis inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) are produced in large quantities and play a major role in pathogenesis. It is not known exactly which cells produce these mediators during infection. We investigated the localisation of TNFalpha-mRNA in the central nervous system (CNS) by in situ hybridisation during experimental Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis. TNF-positive cells were detected only in inflammatory infiltrates within the meninges. Cells within the brain parenchyma and the choroid plexus were completely negative. After monocyte depletion, no TNFalpha-mRNA positive cells were detected in the CNS. These findings suggest that TNFalpha in pneumococcal meningitis is produced in the CNS mainly by blood-derived, infiltrating monocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Göttingen, Germany. abitsch@t-online.de
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bitsch
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Trostdorf
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Brück
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D011817:Rabbits; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha